Tesco considering litter options following Greens’ suggestion

Following the Waltham Abbey LItter Picking Posse litter pick on Saturday 12th May Linda Johnson-Laird, Waltham Abbey Greens’ Cleaner Spaces spokesperson, emailed Tesco about the litter in the car park area by the Limes Medical Centre.

Linda suggested that Tesco employ somebody for one hour per day at the Living Wage to help keep the area tidy.

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In her email Linda said,

I regularly pick litter from the car park area around Tesco, Lloyd’s Pharmacy and the Limes medical centre, frequently collecting two full bags of litter which barely make an impact. It’s become increasingly apparent to me that little, if any, attempt is made to maintain this area.

On Saturday 12th May I was with a small team from the Waltham Abbey Litter Picking Posse clearing this space. We collected nine bags of litter along with two baby chairs, three shoes and a shower curtain. Much of this waste and debris had been there for weeks, months and maybe even years. This is unhygienic, unsightly and contributes to flooding by obstructing drainage.

An area of particular concern, which we weren’t able to address, is behind the medical centre by the grit storage, backing onto residential gardens. We were genuinely shocked when we looked at this area.

Unless I’m mistaken this land is owned by Tesco but, even if that’s not the case, it’s clear that the majority of the problem is caused by Tesco customers, particularly those who choose to drive.

Given Tesco’s commitment to supporting the community I’d like to propose, on behalf of Waltham Abbey Greens, that you employ somebody at the Living Wage, currently £8.75/hr outside London, for one hour per day to keep this area tidy.

This would allow local community volunteers to focus their efforts elsewhere and also provide a local resident with approximately £45 per week, potentially reducing the welfare bill.

Ronnie McCabe, of Tesco’s Customer Service team, has responded, saying,

“I’m sorry to hear about the state of this area. I appreciate that you and the rest of the Waltham Abbey Litter Picking Posse are doing their part and keeping it as clean as you can.

I have made the store aware of this and also let them know your suggestion. I am confident that they will take this under future consideration and hopefully get this sorted.”

We’re grateful to Tesco for looking into this and look forward to seeing progress soon.